As both producers and audiences have opened up more and more cross-pollination between sounds in recent years, the possibilities for the album format have become endless in electronic music. And the results in 2018 have been pretty astounding.

From harrowing bass music, dissonant IDM, pulsing electro, engulfing jungle, bubbling ambient and beyond, the year has seen a raft of more esoteric works garner widespread acclaim.

Ilk makes his debut on Blocks & Escher's Narratives label later this month with sublime track 'The Sound Of Falling'.

Released as part of a two-tracker backed by a rowdy tech-step cut from Metalheadz alumnus SB81, ‘The Sound Of Falling’ is a masterclass in width and contrasts of pace, earning it the coveted spot of Killer of the Month in our UK September edition.

Bust ups. Car park fist fights. Prison sentences. Vicious acrimonious splits resulting in major High Court settlements. Six-day self-finding mushroom binges in the Highlands. Tabloid scandals, legal wrangles, studio strangles, love triangles... absolutely none of this happened during the making of Blocks & Escher’s long, long, long awaited debut album ‘Something Blue’. But it really feels like it ought to have done.

“I wasn’t even up for it initially,” admits Will ‘Escher’ Hansen, the bespectacled member of the operation (so you know who’s who). “I didn’t know what the point of an album was these days. Everyone’s got such a short attention span nowadays, what’s the point of doing one? But Phil persuaded me over time, saying how an album can be a statement.”

This year our flagship publication, DJ Mag UK, remains at the forefront of dance music, with a focus on established and up-and-coming underground talent, we delve into weighty artist features and the latest club, technology and festival breaking news. Plus upfront music reviews across genres from techno to grime and everything in between.

Back in 2012, UK production duo Blocks and Escher launched their Narratives Music label with 'Sagan'/'Broken', opening the door to a world of abstract, emotive drum & bass. Four years on, these tracks have been given the remix treatment, and we've secured a very special version of 'Broken' by the one and only Om Unit for premiere.